LESSON 17
THE INFINITIVES
Definition and Origin of the Infinitive
In Greek and English, the infinitive is a verbal noun. In English you express it with the
verb preceded by “to” which has no meaning except as a sign of the infinitive. Thus, we say, “To
learn is a good thing.”
The Greek infinitive is a verbal noun whereas the participle is a verbal adjective. The
infinitive has aspects of verb and noun and functions both ways. It has tense and voice, like a
verb, but not person or mood. Nor is it a mood in itself. Although the infinitive is usually
classified with verbs, it probably originated as a noun becoming fixed in a case, often the dative.
Thus, it is not declined.
The name infinitive means that it is not a finite verb. A finite verb makes an assertion
and, along with a subject, can form a complete sentence. It is finite in that the action is limited by
the subject. In the sentence “The child learned a lesson” the verb is limited as to who learned by
the word child. A non-finite verb, like an infinitive, is not limited by a subject and usually cannot
express a complete thought whether in a clause or sentence.
Forms of the Infinitive
The infinitive appears in four tenses: present, future, aorist, and perfect. The forms of the
present active, middle, and passive are based on the present stem of the verb. The future active
and middle are based on the future stem. Very few future infinitives appear in the New
Testament. The aorist active and middle are built on the aorist stem omitting the augment. The
perfect active, middle, and passive are based on the perfect stem, including the reduplication. As
with other forms of the verb, the aorist passive and the future passive use the sign of those tenses
(-θη- for the aorist and -θησ- for the future passive).
Since the infinitive is not declined and has no person or number, there are very few
forms. The endings are usually predictable as seen below.
Use of the Infinitive
Tense in the infinitive has to do primarily with kind of action rather than time. The three
kinds of action expressed are progressive (present and future), undefined (aorist), and perfected
(perfect). Only when the infinitive appears with a subject accusative and has the thrust of a finite
verb does time enter into consideration (see below). An example of this is John 21:25 where οὐδʼ
αὐτὸν … τὸν κόσμον χωρήσειν … (fut. act. inf.) has a future implication (The world itself could
not contain.…)
a. The Infinitive as a Verb
o Character: As a verb the infinitive has voice and tense.
o Usage: As a verb the infinitive may take an object, may function as if it were a
finite verb with a subject accusative, and may be used adverbially.
• An infinitive taking an object.
o Example: μὴ νομίσητε ὅτι ἦλθον καταλῦσαι τὸν νόμον (Do not think that I came
to destroy the law) Matt. 5:17. The phrase καταλῦσαι τὸν νόμον, which is the
equivalent of a clause, also expresses the purpose of the main verb.
• An infinitive as a finite verb with a subject accusative.
o Example: καὶ ἐγένετο ὡσεὶ νεκρός, ὥστε τοὺς πολλοὺς λέγειν ὅτι ἀπέθανεν (And
he became as a dead person, so that many said he died) Mk. 9:26. Although the
infinitive is not a finite verb, in this clause it functions as one. This construction
often occurs in the New Testament where the substantive will always be in the
accusative and functions as the subject and the infinitive as a finite verb. It is
referred to as subject accusative or the accusative of reference. This sentence also
illustrates how Greek writers used the infinitive to express result.
• An infinitive used adverbially.
o Example: Κύριε, κατάβηθι πρὶν ἀποθανεῖν τὸ παιδίον μου (Lord, come down
before my child dies) John 4:49. Functioning adverbially, πρὶν ἀποθανεῖν τὸ
παιδίον μου is a subject accusative with the infinitive, answering the question
when?
b. The Infinitive as a Noun
o Character: Originally it was inflected as a noun, but it became fixed in one case
and is now undeclinable.
o Usage: The infinitive can function any way the noun does.
• As the subject of a finite verb.
o Example: οὐχ ὑμῶν ἐστιν γνῶναι χρόνους ἤ καιρούς (To know the times and
seasons is not yours) Acts 1:7.
• As the direct object of a verb.
o Example: καὶ πάλιν ἤρξατο διδάσκειν παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν (And again he began to
teach beside the sea) Mk. 4:1.
• As the secondary object of a verb.
o Example: ἔχω σοί τι εἰπεῖν (I have something to say to you) Luke 7:40.
• As an appositional substantive.
o Example: θρησκεία καθαρά … αὕτη ἐστιν, ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ὀρφανοὺς καὶ χήρας
(Pure religion is this: to care for orphans and widows) James 1:27.
• As a modifier of a substantive.
o Example of an infinitive modifying a noun: ἦλθεν … ὁ καιρὸς τῶν νεκρῶν
κριθῆναι (The time for the dead to be judged has come) Rev. 11:18.
• As a modifier of an adjective.
o Example of an infinitive modifying an adjective: τοὺς ἐν δυνάμει θεοῦ
φρουρουμένους διὰ πίστεως εἰς σωτηρίαν ἑτοίμην ἀποκαλυφθῆναι ἐν καιρῷ
ἐσχάτῳ (… who are being kept by the power of God through faith for a salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time) 1 Pet. 1:5.
• The infinitive with the article.
The infinitive appears with or without the article. When the article is present it will
always be neuter singular and the article’s case will match the function of the infinitive in the
sentence. The article will usually accompany the infinitive when it is combined with a
preposition.
The presence of the article stands as evidence of the infinitive as a noun. Whether or not
the infinitive has an article seems to have no effect on its use or translation.